LT ROBERT ALAN CLARK

 

I knew Robert aboard the USS Midway. The VA-115 Ready Room backed up to our Ready Room door (VF-161) and as was common a lot of friendly harassment went on between the "fighters" and the "bombers". On either side of the common door was the Squadron Duty Officer's desk and whenever a fighter made a particularly poor landing and Robert was the VA Duty Officer, he would fling the door open and bang a loud gong into our ready room. We obviously would retaliate when one of theirs screwed up coming aboard, usually with a volley of wadded up "bomber" maps. I remember the day he and Mike did not return, no one harassed anyone that day, we had all lost two comrades and friends, so close to the end of everything. From a shipmate and fellow Naval aviator, Jim Bragdon jbragdon@airmail.net

 

Servicemen Missing from Vietnam War Identified United States Department of Defense January 9, 2004 DoD Media Release Two servicemen missing in action from the Vietnam War have been identified and returned to their families for burial. They are Navy Ltjg Robert A. Clark of North Hollywood, Calif., and another officer whose name will not be released at the request of his family. On Jan. 10, 1973, the two took off in an A-6A aircraft from USS Midway on a mission to suppress surface-to-air missiles in North Vietnam. Near the target area in Nghe An Province in North Vietnam, aircrew reported an estimated 15 surface-to-air missiles fired, as well as numerous antiaircraft rounds. Clark's A-6A was not seen again. Attempts to contact the crew for four days through radio and visual searches were unsuccessful. In July 1991, U.S. researchers discovered in a Vietnamese military museum a data plate which correlated to the downed aircraft. Later, in another museum, they discovered photos of a crash site which also correlated to the missing aircraft. U.S. researchers examined Vietnamese wartime records which confirmed the downing of that aircraft in Nghe An Province in January 1973. Between 1993 and 2002, U.S. researchers and joint U.S.-Vietnam teams conducted four field investigations and one excavation. During one of their field visits, a witness to the 1973 crash turned over remains he claimed to have recovered at the site. During the excavation in 2002, additional remains were recovered. The remains were identified in 2003 by the Central Identification Laboratory through skeletal analysis and mitochondrial DNA. 14 Jan 2004 Short One "Feet Wet" (Copyright © 2004-2009 Tad D. Clark)   In the dark of the night, After calling "Feet Dry", They were declared "Missing In Action", We may never know why. This morning is a time, To reflect on the past, To honor my father and Mondo, As our memories of them forever last. Vietnam was a time, We saw much of America protest, But still many willingly chose, To put their courage and honor to the test. This list of heroes, Is too great to name them all, But they stand here amongst you, Some lay at rest. . .others are on the Wall. It's this commitment to servanthood, Which stands at the crux, As something necessary. . .required, In a world of constant flux. We still need those who care, About the Red, White and Blue, That are willing to stand, For what is Just, Right and True. This doesn't require a uniform, Or wings on your chest, No. . .simply a commitment to serve, And give others your best. This is what unites us, This is what makes us strong, To foster a "Nation Under God", And eradicate the evils and wrongs. This is what's essential, This remains at the core, This is what my father, Mondo and others, Thought was important enough to fight for. There's a reason why we train, There's a reason why we fight, Not to flex our arms, Showing off "globally" our military might. No. . .we train instead, For those who put aside, Common decency for mankind, And replace it with pride. We saw it in Vietnam, We just saw it in Iraq, We must see "justice prevail", We must never turn back. My father, Mondo and others, Helped maintain the course, For future generations of, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. Who fight for America, Who trust in our God, As they're committed to servanthood, In our homeland and abroad. I thank America! For allowing my father's dreams to be complete, As he had wings of gold on his chest, And sat in the Intruder's right seat. He did what he loved, When he strapped on that jet, He was committed to the end, As he was short one "Feet Wet". I praise my Lord God, My Father and King, For the peace and the joy, That He consistently brings. He is a good God, He embraces us all, He's simply waiting for us, To respond to His call. It's because of His peace, I can confidently say, That in fact I had two Fathers. . . As the Lord never left me and my dad has affected me each passing day! In loving memory of my father, Lt Robert Alan Clark, my hero. . . Colonel Tad David Clark 2004 clarkfamilypartyof6@yahoo.com

 

16 Jan 2004 On the cold and snowy morning of January 9, 2004, the remains of LT Robert Alan Clark (known to his family and friends by his middle name) were laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. In attendance were his widow, Tonya, his son, Captain Tad Clark (now a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot), many family members and most of his old A-6 Intruder squadronmates from Attack Squadron 115 (VA-115). During a reunion dinner the night before, many of his former shipmates had shared their memories of "Arlo," in an attempt to honor his memory as well as to help Tad fill in the picture of who his dad had been as a friend, a squadronmate and a warrior. The service on Friday morning was extremely touching, and was highlighted by Tad's reading of a poem he had written in honor of his dad, whom he had never met. Burial was, of course, with full military honors. Arlo's remains spent over three decades away from American soil, but now they are finally home. We have now said the goodbyes that we never got to say 31 years ago. It is said that those who are remembered live on forever. Al Clark's memory is still very much alive. From a former squadronmate and roommate, Bob ("Woody") Wood exa6driver@hotmail.com

 

Notes from The Virtual Wall On the night of 9/10 January 1973, the Strategic Air Command's B-52 heavy bombers continued their attacks in North Vietnam with a series of strikes in the vicinity of Vinh. Two A-6A Intruders from Attack Squadron 115 aboard USS Midway were tasked with a surface-to-air missile suppression attack on a SAM site about 30 miles northwest of Vinh. LT Michael T. McCormick, pilot, and LTJG Robert A. Clark, B/N, were assigned A-6A BuNo 155693. The two aircraft launched and proceeded "feet dry", intending to conduct separate but coordinated attacks on the target. The weather was overcast with cloud layers variously reported at 1,500 to 15,000 feet. As the A-6s and B-52s approached their targets, a barrage of SAM missiles were launched - a dozen or so at the B-52 cells and three at the A-6s. Although the missile rocket motors illuminated the clouds, it was impossible to judge their trajectory or target until the SAM actually broke free of the cloud cover, thereby reducing the aircrews' reaction time. The second Intruder completed its attack and went "feet wet", taking up an orbit offshore while waiting for McCormick and Clark to rendezvous - but they never arrived. That aircrew then retraced the flight route at an altitude of 15,000, but failed to sight any fires other than those caused by the B-52 strikes and were unable to make radio contact with either McCormick or Clark. Subsequent search and rescue efforts failed to locate either the downed aircraft or its crew. Both crewmen were carried as Missing in Action until the Secretary of the Navy approved Presumptive Findings of Death for them - McCormick on 25 July 1975 and Clark on 07 March 1978. Their remains have not been repatriated. Mike McCormick and Robert Clark were the last of seven VA-115 aircrewmen lost during the Vietnam War. Until this year, only one of the seven had come home: 17 Apr 66 (A-1H) LCDR William L. Tromp, MIA/BNR 14 Feb 67 (A-1H) LT Robert C. Marvin, MIA/BNR 17 Mar 67 (A-1H) LTJG Gene W. Goeden, MIA/BNR 19 Jul 72 (A-6A) LT Raymond P. Donnelly, KIA/Body recovered 24 Oct 72 (A-6A) LTJG Michael S. Bixel, Lost at Sea/BNR 10 Jan 73 (A-6A) LT Michael T. McCormick, MIA/BNR 10 Jan 73 (A-6A) LTJG Robert A. Clark, MIA/BNR Now Robert A. Clark and Michael T. McCormick have come home.

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